Tag: named

  • How prize named in honour of Tracey Bretag shows academic integrity is changing

    How prize named in honour of Tracey Bretag shows academic integrity is changing

    ***HEPI and the UPP Foundation will host a free webinar on 4 June at 1pm on service learning, how universities can integrate community service with academic studies. Register for your place here.***

    • This HEPI blog was authored by Isabelle Bristow, Managing Director UK and Europe at Studiosity. Studiosity is AI-for-Learning, not corrections – to scale student success, empower educators, and improve retention with a proven 4.4x ROI, while ensuring integrity and reducing institutional risk.

    During September 2020, Studiosity launched the Professor Tracey Bretag Prize for Academic Integrity – an annual commitment to those who are advancing the understanding and implementation of academic integrity in the higher education sector, in honour of Tracey’s work as a researcher in the field of educational integrity.

    Tracey was one of the world’s leading experts on academic integrity, founding the International Journal for Educational Integrity and serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Handbook of Academic Integrity. She spoke widely and publicly on the importance of universities taking a strong stand on educating their students about academic integrity and enforcing the rules with vigour and strong sanctions.

    Tracey also came to work alongside the team at Studiosity, providing advice, guidance, and sharing her research at events. When asked for her permission to create an annual Academic Integrity award named in her honour, this was Tracey’s response:

    I am so deeply honoured by your suggestion that I am almost speechless. Thank you so much for coming up with such a fabulous idea, and especially for putting it in my name. … Thank you again for this incredible recognition of my very small contribution to the field of academic integrity. As I work hard every day to try to demonstrate the type of bravery I’ve always advocated, this certainly gives me a great deal of comfort.

    Tracey prematurely passed away on 7 October 2020. In February 2021, she was honoured posthumously with a Career Achievement Award from the Australian Awards for University Teaching.

    Entrants over time – a five-year overview

    Looking at the Award’s previous entries, we can see a clear shift in how institutions approach educational integrity:

    • from a more broad-based education about what constitutes misconduct in 2020;
    • towards more specialised training of large student groups;
    • to a significant pivot in 2023 towards integrity projects that address the challenge of AI – specifically led by assessment redesign and the use of whole-institution frameworks.

    Another change over time is certainly who and where integrity nominations are coming from – there are more dedicated institutional units for managing educational integrity now in 2025 than we saw in 2020-2021.

    Tracey earned a great deal of respect globally for her evidence-based, systemic, and students-first approaches to educational integrity. It is fitting that these approaches are gaining interest and momentum in higher education at this moment. We look forward to seeing another year of evidence-based nominations, and thank our Academic Advisory Board for their time and energy once again in judging.

    Feeling inspired?

    As senior leadership look for ways to ethically embed generative AI within their institutions, academic integrity – the original owner of the AI acronym – is paramount. And so for this year’s prize submissions, the expectation is that the 2025 shortlist will acknowledge gen-AI as part of the challenge, show evidence of impact, and help answer the question: How can the sector keep educational integrity, humanity, and learning at the heart of the student experience?

    Last year, the University of Greenwich won the UK prize for their initiative ‘Integrity Matters: Nurturing a culture of integrity through situational learning and play’. Staff there designed an interactive e-learning module (available to all education institutions under licence) designed to raise awareness of academic integrity. You can learn more here. 

    Sharon Perera, Head of Academic and Digital Sills who led the initiative said:

    We are thrilled to have been awarded the Tracey Bretag prize for advancing best practice and the impact of academic integrity in higher education. Thank you Studiosity for championing this in the sector.

    At the University of Greenwich our goal is to raise awareness of the academic conventions in research and writing and to create a culture of integrity. We are doing this through our student communities – by sharing best practice and learning about the challenges we face in the GenAI era.

    Academic integrity is at greater risk than ever in the age we live in, and we need to work together to celebrate integrity and authenticity.

    While sharing your initiative is for the good of the sector and a personal recognition of your tireless efforts to protect and nurture academic integrity – the prize also comprises a financial reward! You can enter this year’s prize here – nominations close 30 May. Evidence might be at the level of policy, implementation, measured student or staff participation, and/or other evidence of behaviour.

    Source link

  • Dr. Marlene Tromp Named University of Vermont’s 28th President

    Dr. Marlene Tromp Named University of Vermont’s 28th President

    Dr. Marlene TrompThe University of Vermont (UVM) Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Marlene Tromp as the institution’s 28th president.

    Tromp, who is currently serving as president of Boise State University, will assume her new role later this summer.

    “Dr. Tromp brings with her the experience and ability for great success that will benefit the university, community, and state,” said Cynthia Barnhart, Board of Trustees chair and co-chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

    A first-generation college student raised in rural Wyoming,Tromp brings nearly 30 years of experience in higher education. During her six-year tenure at Boise State, she successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while increasing student enrollment and improving affordability. Under her leadership, the university achieved record graduation rates and philanthropic funding while expanding its research footprint.

    “This is a university that has the power to truly lead the nation and even the world on several fronts,” Tromp said of UVM. “I’m so excited to work with my colleagues, the students, alumni, and friends to improve individual lives and the life of the community.”

    Tromp’s rural background appears to have been a significant factor in her selection.

    “She grew up with the experience of being in a rural state and understanding the importance of the flagship institution to that state, both urban and rural parts of the state. She really demonstrated an ability to connect well with Vermont culture, given that upbringing,” said Ron Lumbra, immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees and co-chair of the search committee. 

    A humanities scholar with a concentration in Victorian literature and culture, Tromp has published nine books and dozens of peer-reviewed papers. Her administrative experience includes serving as campus provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of California at Santa Cruz and vice provost and dean at Arizona State University.

    Senator Patrick Leahy, who met with Tromp during her campus visit, expressed confidence in her leadership abilities.

    “Dr. Tromp seems poised and ready to lead UVM. She clearly understands the impact and responsibilities UVM has in our state,” Leahy said.

    Campus leaders have also voiced strong support for the appointment. Athletic Director Jeff Schulman praised Tromp’s “experience, commitment to excellence and passion for UVM,” while Bill Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, described her as “an empathetic and collaborative leader.”

    Tromp holds a Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University, a Master of Arts in English from the University of Wyoming, and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She currently serves on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and consults on higher education with the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco.

    She will succeed Dr. Suresh Garimella, who led UVM from 2019 until October 2024 when he became president of the University of Arizona. Provost Dr. Patricia Prelock has been serving as interim president since Garimella’s departure.

    Source link

  • NC State Alumnus Kevin Howell Named University’s 15th Chancellor

    NC State Alumnus Kevin Howell Named University’s 15th Chancellor

    Kevin HowellThe University of North Carolina Board of Governors has elected Kevin Howell as North Carolina State University’s 15th chancellor, marking a historic appointment as the first chancellor to have also served as the university’s student body president.

    Howell, who will assume the role on May 5, will succeed Chancellor Randy Woodson, who is retiring in June after 15 years of leadership.

    UNC System President Peter Hans recommended Howell following a national search that attracted more than 75 candidates.

    “Kevin Howell is a born leader with a long record of service to North Carolina, the UNC System and NC State University,” Hans said. “His deep relationships across the state have helped drive investment and growth. I am confident that he will strengthen NC State’s role as a frontier research university, keeping North Carolina competitive in the most important fields of our future.”

    Howell currently serves as chief external affairs officer at UNC Health. His previous experience includes various leadership positions at NC State, including vice chancellor for external affairs, partnerships and economic development from 2018 to 2023. He also worked as assistant to the chancellor for external affairs from 2006 to 2016 and has held interim roles in university advancement and alumni affairs.

    From 2016 to 2018, Howell served as senior vice president for external affairs at the UNC System Office. His government experience includes working as a legislative liaison to two former governors, along with roles at the NC Bar Association and Jefferson-Pilot Financial Insurance Company. He began his career as a legal clerk at the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

    “This university shaped my life in profound and generous ways, and I am honored for the chance to lead my alma mater,” Howell said. “NC State is a brilliant and inspiring place, just like the state we serve. There are exciting days ahead for the Pack, and I’m ready to make a difference.”

    A native of Cleveland County, Howell earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from NC State, where he represented students on the university’s Board of Trustees as student body president. He later received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

    Ed Stack, vice chair of the NC State Board of Trustees and chair of the chancellor search advisory committee, praised the selection. “Among an impressive group of candidates, he stood out as the strongest choice. Kevin truly exemplifies the university’s ‘think and do’ spirit – especially in driving economic development and improving the lives of North Carolinians,” said Stack.

    Ed Weisiger, chair of the NC State Board of Trustees and a member of the search committee, highlighted Howell’s relationship-building skills, calling him “a trusted partner to those he leads and those with whom he interacts and works.”

    UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy said that she is confident that Howell “will steward university resources, build industry relationships and lead the institution to even greater success.”

    Source link

  • Danielle Gonzales named to NAEP board

    Danielle Gonzales named to NAEP board

    Albuquerque Public schools board President Danielle Gonzales has been appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation’s Report Card.

    Gonzales is one of two new members appointed Oct. 1 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. She has represented District 3 in Albuquerque’s North Valley since 2022.

    Gonzales is a senior fellow at One Generation Fund and has previously worked at New Mexico First, the Aspen Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She previously was a fourth-grade teacher.

    “I am deeply honored to be selected to serve on the National Assessment Governing Board,” Gonzales said in a news release. “I look forward to contributing to the board, based on my background, experiences, and expertise, the ability to translate complex research into practical and relevant decisions. I have lived experience, as a bilingual person, Hispanic woman, parent, and product of the very public school system I now serve.”

    Expected to be released in early 2025, the 2024 Nation’s Report Card will provide critical information about how education systems are helping students make up lost ground since 2022 and meet the standards and expectations necessary to succeed in school and beyond.

    The nonpartisan 26-member Governing Board was established by Congress to set policy for the Nation’s Report Card. The board decides what grades and subjects to assess, content to include, and sets the NAEP achievement levels. It works with the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers NAEP, to release and disseminate results.

    Source link

  • Mariana Padilla named Public Education Secretary

    Mariana Padilla named Public Education Secretary

    Mariana Padilla, a long-time New Mexico educator and close confidant of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, has been named the state’s new Public Education Secretary.

    Padilla has served as the Director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet since the start of the Lujan Grisham administration. Before that, she served as the congresswoman Lujan Grisham’s state director for six years.

    She replaces Arsenio Romero, who served as secretary for 18 months before resigning in August when he was named a finalist for the presidency of New Mexico State University.

    A native of Albuqueruque’s South Valley, Padilla began her career as an elementary school teacher in Albuquerque Public Schools. She later earned dual master’s degrees in community and regional planning and water resources from the University of New Mexico.

    “I am incredibly honored to be appointed by Gov. Lujan Grisham to lead the New Mexico Public Education Department,” Padilla said in a press release. “My career has been focused on serving the communities and families of our state. I am committed to working collaboratively with students, families, educators, and community partners to achieve the outcomes we all want to see. As a parent of grade school students, I share the sense of urgency to deliver for our kids.”  

    Source link

  • The misleadingly named Student Loans Company

    The misleadingly named Student Loans Company

    Why that title?

    Well, the name seems to mislead people into thinking that the provider of student finance is a private institution, potentially making profit out of students, when it is in fact publicly owned.

    There are 20 shares in the SLC: 17 are owned by the Department for Education (which has responsibility for English-domiciled students) and another three, each of those owned by one of the devolved administrations.

    When you want to see what’s going on with student loans you look at government accounts: national, departmental or those of devolved administrations.

    OK. So what’s the point of mentioning this factoid?

    I believe that the misunderstanding about the publicly-owned nature of the SLC contributes to thinking that leads to other confusions, such as those surrounding function of the interest rate in student loans and what the effect of reducing them would be.

    Here’s a former Higher Education minister getting into a pickle in an article that even has the title, “Student Finance? It’s the interest rate, stupid”.

    Let’s leave aside the misunderstandings about the recent ONS accounting changes and concentrate on the claim that reducing interest rates would “address the size of the debt owed itself”.

    The government is looking to reduce public debt, but lowering interest rates would only do this in the long-run, if the loan balances eventually written off were written off by making a payment to a private company to clear those balances.

    As it is, reducing interest rates on loans mean that higher earners will pay back less than they would otherwise and government debt would be higher in nominal terms (all else being equal). (I do support reducing interest rates on student loans, but for different reasons).

    There is probably another confusion here regarding the Janus-faced nature of student debt: it is an asset for government (it is owed to government) and a liability for borrowers. The outstanding balances on borrowers’ accounts are not the same as the associated government debt.

    When the government thinks about public debt in relation to student loans, it is thinking about the borrowing it had to take on in order to create the student loans.

    Imagine that I borrow £10 in the bond markets to lend you £10 for your studies: I have a debt to the markets and an asset, what you owe me. The interest on the former and the latter are not the same and the terms of repayment on the latter are income-contingent so I don’t expect to get sufficient repayments back from you to cover my debt to the markets.

    Student loans are not self-sustaining. It requires a public subsidy – any announcements about loans in the spending review at the end of the month will be about how much subsidy the government is prepared to offer.

    Source link